


In the  Dark

by annanndstann



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Injuries, Secret Identity, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 06:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2841158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annanndstann/pseuds/annanndstann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin and Kon wind up caught in the dark together. Robin's mask is lost, he's hurt, and feeling generous with information.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the  Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback appreciated but this is only my second fic so please be kind! (Also i wrote this like two years ago and aware it may or may not be severely out of character *shrugs* I didn't feel like rewriting it.) - U -

It had seemed like an easy mission: take down the bad guys, free the hostages, head home. But things couldn't be that simple, obviously. Turned out that these particular bad guys had unexpected elemental powers. It looked like they would still be able to complete the mission though. That was until Robin had been struck by a good size boulder and in his moment of pain the ground had dropped right out from under him. He had gone hurtling through the air in free fall. Zatanna had screamed but Kon was already pursuing the flightless bird at high speed. It was his speed that kept Robin from breaking against the stone floor of the chasm, but Kon wasn't quick enough to make the escape as boulders and dirt rained down, forming a kind of roof.There had to be at least a hundred yards of debris separating them from the surface and Kon doesn't trust himself with structural integrity: he might injure the rest of the team topside, he might injure Robin. Robin.

Kon looked through the dark at Robin. His mask had been lost so Kon doubted Rob could see through the blackness like he could. Robin was angled away from him and Kon could only see the outline of his face. Kon could tell by Rob's posture something was wrong, he was curved in on himself and it looked like his very core was shaking. It was then that Kon's sensitive, half Kryptonian hearing picked up the sound of Rob's breathing. It sounded… wrong. It was ragged, the sound of a torn sail trying to catch a breeze.

Robin's breath never sounded this way, even after a tough fight, or sprinting for his life, his breath was always deep and even. Measured. Especially in sleep. Kon couldn't remember how long his tradition of listening to the sound of Robin sleeping had been going on. Robin's sleep calmed him while he was waiting for his own to find him.

"Rob?", there was urgency and question in Kon's voice. He was worried about his friend. Robin had proven himself to be a worthy hero but he was still only human, maybe he was hurt.

Seemingly unconsciously Robin turned toward the sound of Kon's voice. His eyes were closed but he wouldn't be able to see in this blackness anyway. Kon couldn't help but stare, he'd never seen Robin without his mask, none of the team had. It had seemed like just another part of Robin's body. Without it Robin was strange and foreign looking, in a startling, but not in a displeasing way. But the thing that really startled Kon was the tears streaked down the boy wonder's cheeks. He'd never seen Robin cry before, and it scared him.

He'd been with Robin and the team through Hell and back and he'd never seen Robin break composure. Rob had always been so strong in that silent, indescribable way. Like steel, and the team depended on it, leaned on him, probably without realizing it.  Kon could sense that that strong thing inside of him had been shattered. He was seeing Rob's weakness. It was like seeing him naked, exposed, in a way he wasn't sure he liked.

"Rob?", Kon asked again. He was rewarded by a small sniffle and Robin reached his hand toward the direction of Kon's voice but his eyes remained shut. Kon saw the shivers racking the boy's body now spread themselves to his extended limb. Rob's arm and wrist spasmed in a way that made Kon feel sick.

Without a second thought Kon reached out and grasped Robin's wrist. Robins eyes went wide and he tried to jerk back, whimpering at the unexpected contact and his own movement, but Kon's strong grip prevented him from doing much more than leaning away.

"Rob, it's me, it's Kon. I won't hurt you, I promise. I know you probably can't see me, just listen to my voice." Kon tried to sound soothing, and he guessed it must have worked to some extent because he could see Rob's posture relax. Kon kept his grip on Rob's wrist loose and began to rub his thumb in circles against the back of Rob's hand. Robin didn't flinch away, and Kon continued rubbing, at a loss as to how he could help his friend.

He focused all of his concern for his friend into that small patch of skin on the back of Rob's hand. He kept caressing it with his thumb, trying to soothe the shivering boy. Eventually Rob seemed to relax. His breathing was still ragged and shallow, but it was no longer the erratic mess that had so scared Kon. His face slackened but the occasional tear still seeped from beneath his lashes and graced his heated cheeks.

After what seemed an eternity of rubbing, ragged breathing, and stress, Robin's hoarse voice broke through the trance.

"Kon," he gasped, wincing at the effort of speech, "I think my ribs are broken."

Kon could tell by the whistling noise that Rob's breathing and speaking made that the vigilante probably had a punctured lung as well. His only thought was that he needed to protect Robin.

"Rob, come here." Kon said, tugging Robin gently toward him, afraid that the small movement would hurt the boy. Evidently it did somewhat, judging by Rob's small noise, somewhere between whimper and groan.

Kon released Robin's wrist from his grip immediately, regretting his rash move. Robin however, lunged forward at the loss of contact, his arm reaching, fingers grasping in desperation, eyes wide in fear and panic. He caught the front of a startled Kon's t-shirt, gripping for dear life as he grit his teeth at the pain of his movements, fresh tears making tracks down his pale face.

"Don't leave me!" Robin whispered after regaining some breath, his voice was weak with fear and pain.

" Never," Kon promised, inching forward.

" Hold me," Robin murmured, and Kon could tell that the pain was starting to take it's toll on him.

Kon scooter even closer, Robin's right hand still fisted in his shirt. He sat crisscrossed in front of Robin, his knee touching against Rob's curled legs. Kon peered into his bird's hooded eyes, which, at this distance, he could tell were a deep blue, like the ocean.

"Rob," Kon whispered, afraid to startle his injured teammate, " this is gonna hurt a little. Are you ok?"

Robin nodded, giving Kon his consent. Kon hooked one arm under the legs and one behind the shoulders, trying to support Rob's lithe frame as much as possible. Robin whimpered and clenched his eyes and his fists, one of which was still holding the front of Kon's shirt hostage.

Kon tried to jostle Rob as little as possible as he settled the boy gently in his lap. As soon as he had positioned Rob as gingerly as he could, eliciting only a minor groan, his arms went cautiously around his slim friend. Robin seemed to be losing focus, the pain was wearing on him. He pressed himself to Kon's chest as firmly as he could. Kon hesitantly held him closer. He wanted to include Rob in his warmth, the warmth of the sun, hoping it would ease the shivers ravaging the boy's body.

"Kon," Robin  exhaled, "don't leave me," panic tinged the last part of his sentence.

"Never. I already told you that," Kon reassured him.

"Good," Robin mumbled nuzzling his face into Kon's chest.

Kon looked down at the boy wedged in his arms, his fearless friend had been brought low. It angered Kon and scared him. In that moment his expression changed from one of tender caring to one of fierce protection. Kon silently reaffirmed the promise to himself: that he would never leave Robin. That way if Rob ever broke down again, Kon could be the one to protect him and pick up the pieces.

Kon watched Rob's face in the dark. He watched his lips as the boy's breathing slowed toward sleep. He watch his cheekbones and the wetness of tears drying there. But mostly he watched his eyelids flutter and twitch, already half in the land of dreaming. He wondered what Robin dreamed about.

Once his inspection was complete Kon tried listening to the rhythm of Robin's breathing again. It had slowed enormously, and Kon was glad that the boy had found some rest from the pain and fear. He looked back to Rob's face, and saw the deep blue eyes gazing placidly back at him. So much for Robin being asleep.

"Kon?", Rob asked, with a semi-perplexed expression on his exhausted face.

"Yeah, Robin?"

"It's Tim," Robin, wait…. no, Tim, said with dedication.

Kon stilled. There was no way he had just heard that. There must be something wrong with his hearing, his super hearing. Because there was no way Robin, or was it Tim now?, would give away his identity like that. Not as part of an illusion, not during torture (Kon hoped he wasn't torturing Robin), not because of any personal relationship would the young hero give away that secret. Had Robin been drugged?

Maybe Robin felt Kon tense under him because when he resumed speaking his voice held a bare hint of hesitation.

"You can see me," it was more a statement than a question, "can't you?"

"Yeah, buddy."

Seemingly content with this answer Rob closed his eyes, making a happy sound as he nuzzled himself even further into Kon's embrace. Kon, gazing at his smaller friend felt a warmth deep in his chest that seemed to spread outward, especially hot at the spots where their two bodies met. Again he listened to the boy's breath. Right when Kon was almost sure he was asleep, Robin shifted minutely.

"I love you," he half sighed and half whispered into Kon's t-shirt before exhaling something incoherent.

Kon stiffened again. Oh. OH.

Rob's breath tickled against Kon's collarbone and the base of his throat. Rob's head nodded against Kon's chest and shoulder, all consciousness having fled.

Kon tried not to dwell on what Rob had said. He told himself over and over that Robin had been delusional. Kon tried to relax and concentrate on simply cradling his injured friend. Kon thought he made quite a good nest for his little Robin.

"Is that how you think of him?" Kon thought out loud, causing Robin to murmur. In that instant Kon's heart paused for a millisecond and he decided steadfastly against any further thinking.

With this decision to not think made, Kon prepared to wait until he and Rob were rescued by their team or, more likely, by the Justice League. And so he rested, curled around Rob's smaller body. Rob's fist still knotted into his t-shirt, Rob's body still pressed desperately to his.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on tumblr! http://annanndstann.tumblr.com


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